Tsez language
| Tsez | |
|---|---|
| Dido, Cez | |
| цезйас мец cezyas mec | |
| Pronunciation | [t͡sɛzˈjas mɛt͡s] [tsejos mets] |
| Native to | North Caucasus |
| Region | Southern Dagestan |
| Ethnicity | Tsez |
Native speakers | 18,000 (2020 census) |
Northeast Caucasian
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | ddo |
| Glottolog | dido1241 |
| ELP | Tsez |
| Glottopedia | Tsez |
Tsez | |
Tsez is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010) | |
Tsez, also known as Dido (Tsez: цезйас мец (cezyas mec) or цез мец (cez mec)), is a Northeast Caucasian language with about 15,000 speakers (15,354 in 2002) spoken by the Tsez, a Muslim people in the mountainous Tsunta District of southwestern Dagestan in Russia. The name is said to derive from the Tsez word for 'eagle', but this is most likely a folk etymology. The name Dido is derived from the Georgian word დიდი (didi), meaning 'big'.